Krill Oil 48x Better Than Fish Oil? 131 Comments

131 Responses to “Krill Oil 48x Better Than Fish Oil?”

• Zasta
  July 23rd, 2008
  7:05 pm
  

  I have been introduced to krill oil through the well known Dr. Joseph Mercola. It is indeed a very interesting product and that I will definitely try soon.

  One thing that is worth mentioning, krill oil is not only a good product but also a source that is a lot easier to replenish compared to fish oil, which is in high demand due to its high consumption.

• Stu | Improved Lives
  July 23rd, 2008
  7:07 pm
  

  Very interesting. I’m definitely going to be looking for a supplier once my current stash of fish oil runs out.

• Charles
  July 23rd, 2008
  7:11 pm
  

  I’ve recommended Krill oil to two friends, both of which had high cholesterol that drugs were not able to get down. Both of them were able to both lower their cholesterol and get off of the drugs. They had tried all sorts of natural methods previously, including fish oils. (Not that I’m that much into the cholesterol theory of heart disease, but they were.)

  I’ve also seen it work for prostate issues…okay, my prostate issues. As long as I take it I’m perfectly fine. If I stop, it’s multiple bathroom trips at night.

  Anecdote is not proof, but these experiences mirror those described by many others. I think it’s great stuff, and I recommend it to everyone.

• Victor
  July 23rd, 2008
  7:18 pm
  

  Tim, what is your take on the Zone diet??

• Roger
  July 23rd, 2008
  8:04 pm
  

  Tim,
  Please link to any study that compares krill oil to NSAIDS. Specifically any study published by a major medical journal. Beyond that I can’t just believe krill oil works.

  ###

  Hi Roger,

  I’ve pasted two clinical studies from PubMed (one from UC Berkeley) in the comments below and will put them at the end of the post as well.

  Best,

  Tim

• Mike
  July 23rd, 2008
  8:10 pm
  

  Molecularly distilled (i.e. contaminant-free) fish oil is a big deal among some types, especially those who are scared of lead or mercury poisoning in seafood. Is similar contamination a concern with krill oil?

• Tim Ferriss
  July 23rd, 2008
  8:33 pm
  

  Hi All,

  Thanks for the great comments and questions. A few things, including clinicals and research:

  1. I use krill oil (about 1,000mg/day post-exercise) and also consume copious amounts of extra light olive oil, but…

  2. Please remember that this article is by Dr. Eades, not me. I’ll likely post a follow-up from Dr. Eades with additional clinical information. In the meantime, here are several abstracts from PubMed (there are more):

  “Omega-3 DHA and EPA for cognition, behavior, and mood: clinical findings and structural-functional synergies with cell membrane phospholipids.”

  Kidd PM.

  University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.

  The omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are orthomolecular, conditionally essential nutrients that enhance quality of life and lower the risk of premature death. They function exclusively via cell membranes, in which they are anchored by phospholipid molecules. DHA is proven essential to pre- and postnatal brain development, whereas EPA seems more influential on behavior and mood. Both DHA and EPA generate neuroprotective metabolites. In double-blind, randomized, controlled trials, DHA and EPA combinations have been shown to benefit attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, and aggression. For the affective disorders, meta-analyses confirm benefits in major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder, with promising results in schizophrenia and initial benefit for borderline personality disorder. Accelerated cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) correlate with lowered tissue levels of DHA/EPA, and supplementation has improved cognitive function. Huntington disease has responded to EPA. Omega-3 phospholipid supplements that combine DHA/EPA and phospholipids into the same molecule have shown marked promise in early clinical trials. Phosphatidylserine with DHA/EPA attached (Omega-3 PS) has been shown to alleviate AD/HD symptoms. Krill omega-3 phospholipids, containing mostly phosphatidylcholine (PC) with DHA/EPA attached, markedly outperformed conventional fish oil DHA/EPA triglycerides in double-blind trials for premenstrual syndrome/dysmenorrhea and for normalizing blood lipid profiles. Krill omega-3 phospholipids demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity, lowering C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in a double-blind trial. Utilizing DHA and EPA together with phospholipids and membrane antioxidants to achieve a triple cell membrane synergy may further diversify their currently wide range of clinical applications.

  ###

  “Evaluation of the effect of Neptune Krill Oil on chronic inflammation and arthritic symptoms.”

  Deutsch L.

  OBJECTIVES: a) To evaluate the effect of Neptune Krill Oil (NKO) on C-reactive protein (CRP) on patients with chronic inflammation and b) to evaluate the effectiveness of NKO on arthritic symptoms. METHODS: Randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study. Ninety patients were recruited with confirmed diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and/or rheumatoid arthritis and/or osteoarthritis and with increased levels of CRP (>1.0 mg/dl) upon three consecutive weekly blood analysis. Group A received NKO (300 mg daily) and Group B received a placebo. CRP and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) osteoarthritis score were measured at baseline and days 7, 14 and 30. RESULTS: After 7 days of treatment NKO reduced CRP by 19.3% compared to an increase by 15.7% observed in the placebo group (p = 0.049). After 14 and 30 days of treatment NKO further decreased CRP by 29.7% and 30.9% respectively (p < 0.001). The CRP levels of the placebo group increased to 32.1% after 14 days and then decreased to 25.1% at day 30. The between group difference was statistically significant; p = 0.004 at day 14 and p = 0.008 at day 30. NKO showed a significant reduction in all three WOMAC scores. After 7 days of treatment, NKO reduced pain scores by 28.9% (p = 0.050), reduced stiffness by 20.3% (p = 0.001) and reduced functional impairment by 22.8% (p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study clearly indicate that NKO at a daily dose of 300 mg significantly inhibits inflammation and reduces arthritic symptoms within a short treatment period of 7 and 14 days.

  Hope that helps, and keep up the conversation :)

  Tim

• Cam
  July 23rd, 2008
  8:46 pm
  

  Interesting article. I’ve messed with Omega 3′s before with some success. Do you know if Krill Oil gives any benefits to weight lifters?

• David Ricupero
  July 23rd, 2008
  9:12 pm
  

  …Just ordered mine…

• Cody
  July 23rd, 2008
  9:19 pm
  

  I would like to know the same thing as Cam. Does the krill oil have any benefits over omega 3′s for weight lifters?

• A. M.
  July 23rd, 2008
  9:24 pm
  

  Hi Tim,
  According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (basically, the Consumer Report equivalent of Nutrition), which puts out the Nutrition Action News Healthletter, too much vitamin A can increase risk for hip fractures, liver abnormalities, and birth defects (beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, doesn’t cause those problems. Very high doses can increase risk for lung cancer in smokers. They advocate not getting more than 4,00 IU of retinol (or 5,000 IU beta carotene, vitamin A) from supplements. More than 400 IU of vitamin E a day may slightly increase one’s risk of dying. It would be nice if any of the Krill sellers (all very sketchy websites) would tell us how much vitamin A/E is in each pill.

  CSPI net are located at: http://www.cspinet.org/
  They are the folks who nailed Sara Lee for calling their whole grain bread whole grain – when it is only 30% so. And they are nailing the trans fat people, too.

  Lastly, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) proposed rule that would have protected krill, the organisms that form the foundation of the marine food web, was rejected (… perhaps a result of the pharmaceutical companies’ lobbyists….) Maybe we should think about our environment, before we all start taking a supplement without any large scale clinical trials (that aren’t funded by drug companies…) that might damage it.

  Tim, I am surprised that you endorsed this supplement at this stage in its development. I am also surprised that none of the websites detailing it actually show the IU levels of vitamins that it contains (E, A, D, etc.) Tim, it is important to look at who is funding the studies that you are citing. If the drug companies are funding them, there is a problem there… no?

  I was recently on ABC’s show, 20/20 talking about vitamins and supplements. If you are interested in what I learned during the experience, feel free to contact me.

  A.M.

• Bill Riddell
  July 23rd, 2008
  10:02 pm
  

  Thanks for the advice Doc and also Tim for spreading the message. I have been taking fish oil for a few years now with pretty good results and have only in the last month or so seen krill oil enter the market here in Australia. After reading I think I will make the switch once this bottle is empty.

  After years using NSAID’s in my teens (as well as SAID’s) I now find little, if any, benefit from them in my early twenty’s.

• Aidyn
  July 23rd, 2008
  10:12 pm
  

  I take a bit of flax oil every day for the supposed brain benefits of omega-3. But some people (experts, or whatever) argue against the oversimplification of micromanaging diet.

  E.g. eating less and exercising in themselves might provide significantly more brain benefit than a religious devotion to a single molecule (omega-3s)

  (http://www.economist.com/science/displayStory.cfm?story_id=11745528)

• Laedelas
  July 23rd, 2008
  10:23 pm
  

  Pain relief for the rheumatiz, eh? Sounds like it’s worth a try!

• Zeeshan Aleem
  July 23rd, 2008
  10:41 pm
  

  Hey Tim, really interesting post.

  I’m not sure how much to buy into it though. Part of my doubt is attributable to the massive hype surrounding Omega 3 and its capacity to mitigate ADHD. I didn’t follow it in actual medical journals, but I know that a great deal of the hype surrounding it was propagated after a study showing improvements in the mental performance of a group of British children. But as I understand it, it was an uncontrolled study and the children were taking Omega 3 while adopting a variety of other major dietary changes.

  Trying to take these nutrients are, for students such as myself, serious financial investments, and I can’t afford to buy into speculation. Many nutrients such as these come with the “non-FDA approved” disclaimers. How does one discern between the legitimate and illegitimate claims without trying to grapple with esoteric medical / nutritional journalism? At least in the case of Omega 3 and krill oil?

  Thanks in advance if you end up answering this,

  Zeeshan A

• Christopher
  July 23rd, 2008
  10:42 pm
  

  I’d be interested in hearing from Mr. Ferriss what, if any, fish oil supplement he takes.

  This is a cool article, very exciting and worth looking into. I usually stick to the basics in my supplementation: protein, creatine and fish oil. If this stuff gets more bang for the buck so to speak, then it would be a welcome replacement.

  Does one take Krill in addition to fish oil? Or replace fish oil all together?

  -CD

• Jose Castro-Frenzel
  July 23rd, 2008
  11:10 pm
  

  Great Post,

  I very much enjoyed an informative and brief article. Is there a specific brand by which you recommend?

  Best to you,

  Jose Castro-Frenzel

  P.S. I will be in Nicaragua on the 19th-29th of Aug 08, so I have not forgotten about posting the youtube URL. I am going to be doing some volcano surfing, pics and videos to arrive soon enough. Oh and btw check out Corn Island : )………. the small one( there are 2)

• David Gonzalez
  July 23rd, 2008
  11:23 pm
  

  Yo Tim,

  Thanks for the informative post. My dad is diabetic AND arthritic. I’ll pass this along to him.

  Also, a quick google search yielded this link about how the over-fishing of Krill is endangering the ocean’s ecosystem: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/25/business/krill.php

  Curious to know your thoughts?

  Please don’t take this as an underhanded RainbowGathering Greenpeace attempt at a message… (not that there’d be anything wrong with that ;-)). I really dig your work and would love to hear your opinions and thoughts about how to reconcile our (human’s) desire for krill oil versus the Ocean’s depletion of these wee shrimpies.

  The force is strong in dees gwan,
  D

  ###

  Hi David,

  I read the Herald Tribune article, which is excellent. I would note, however, that the threat they rightly identify is a future threat based on potential abuse of new harvest technologies, combined with climate change that decreases the krill population. The “Overfishing of Krill Threatens Ocean Ecosystem” headline should really have a “Potential” in front of it. Here’s one portion of their introduction or lede:

  “So far, difficulties in processing krill on ships, high fuel prices and the expense of sending fleets to the bottom of the globe has kept a lid on annual catches, which remain far below levels set under a treaty governing Antarctic marine life.”

  I suspect that two things will keep future yields below the same levels: 1) rising gasoline prices (costs of sending fleets is increasing, not decreasing), and 2) food security legislation, particularly with an organism low on the food chain.

  Hope that helps!

  Tim

• Michael
  July 24th, 2008
  12:18 am
  

  I take a tablespoon of high quality Norwegian fish oil (CarlsenLabs.com) each day along with Black Strap Molasses and Flax Seed Oil. Molasses? yup the Uridine is great for many things including mood.
  Regarding fish oil and Omega-3, there is a great book out called, “The Queen of Fats” and there are many studies on the benefits.
  Krill is something new to me but makes sense and I look forward to looking into it further.

• Robin
  July 24th, 2008
  2:01 am
  

  An interesting article! Do you have some references for the studies you mentioned? I’d like to read more background on it.

• Steve Mitchell
  July 24th, 2008
  2:50 am
  

  Great article …. It’s interesting seeing that as the oceans warm and the krill populations are suffering that we should now decided to harvest them to make up for our lazy eating habits and over indulgent diets.

  But I guess we could schmooze up to the Japanese and lobby the Whaling Commission to allow Japan and their harpoon hungry friends to start up whaling again and wipe out the majority of the whales that selfishly devour our krill .

  That would essentially leave more of the damn little critters so the lard asses of the world can fix their diet induced diseases without the fishy after taste.

• Ed
  July 24th, 2008
  3:35 am
  

  DR. EADES, Thanks you!! I have read many of your books and learned a lot from them. One question I have is this: Are all the re-branded products the same? I see Krill oil (NKO) from so many different brands including Now, Jarrow, Source Naturals. Which brand do you find to have the most regular dosage and quality? Thanks for all you do!

• Nathan
  July 24th, 2008
  4:04 am
  

  I’m not a fan of harvesting animals for human gain, regardless of the benefit. Why do we see other beings as resources?

• Darin L. Steen
  July 24th, 2008
  4:50 am
  

  Great Post Tim,

  Being a professional trainer, fitness psychologists, I have been eating very clean and healthy for 20 years. At 43 years old i am in the best condition of my life and am very in tune with my body. When I try something new, it is very easy for me to see the benefits of lack of.

  After personally talking to Dr. Mercola, he convinced me to try krill. I can tell you that I have seen all the benefits in your post and then some. I have been on it exclusively for a year now.

  It is an incredible nutrient without the risk of metal toxicity because of the “Krill” being so little and at the very bottom of the food chain in the ocean. You and your faithful followers will be well on your way to “Reaching Your True Fitness / Fat loss potential by using this product.

  Dr. Mercola and I are going to be doing some experiments with combining the intense athletic lifestyle with the holistic / organic lifestyle. I will keep you updated of our findings. I believe that we can all live long and strong (God willing) to 150 years of age. When I asked Dr. Mercola how long he would live to, he looked me square in the eye and said, “150″. And he meant it.

  I believe that by keeping things simple, but making informed decisions about the Foods That We Eat, The Exercise That We Get, & The Thoughts That We Think we all can change our body, our lifestyle, and our life. Our bodies our incredible, and we all have the ability to grow new healthy cells and become completely healthy in as little as 12 weeks (84 days).

  Tim, I commend your work. You are a very intelligent dude. Thanks for all the great fitness info. And my offer still stands, next time you are in Chicago, please look me up so we can put our heads together.

  P.S. one more note on healthy fat. After talking with Dr. Udo Urasmus I have also started taking “UDO’S OIL”. I believe that this is the other healthy fat that anyone and everyone could highly benefit from.

  Keep it up Tim, Live Long, Live Strong my Fitness Friend!!

• Nestor
  July 24th, 2008
  4:56 am
  

  I’ll stick to olive for the time being :)

  Besides I don’t want to deprive the whales.

• nick
  July 24th, 2008
  5:58 am
  

  Who would have thought. Krill should be easier to get here in Japan. There is a lot of talk about fish rights and the lack of fish.

• Scott
  July 24th, 2008
  7:02 am
  

  I would be interested to hear about doses and brands for kids under 7. Also, the vegetarian recipe that I learned which addressed Omegas in the most absorbable form was: equal parts 1) flax seed; 2) sesame seed; 3) pumpkin seed; 4) sunflower seed; all soaked in quality water for 8 hours to stimulate a beginning process of sprouting, rinsed and Vita-Mixed in quality water for a pure white tasteless shake. Twice a day.

  Hemp seed oil, if you look at the charts at the natural foods stores, promotes itself as a higher balance of all the omegas in the way the body likes to absorb it (over fish oils, didn’t see krill on the list though). I’m a flexa-pescatarian so I’m open to krill, but I would like to hear discussion on the different oils (including olive). I’ll take them all and give them to my wife and kids if it works, and over weeks and years too. It’s worth it to guard against not only the NDAIDs but other meds threatening children and adults.

• Tim Ferriss
  July 24th, 2008
  7:47 am
  

  @David Gonzalez

  I read the Herald Tribune article, which is excellent. I would note, however, that the threat they rightly identify is a future threat based on potential abuse of new harvest technologies, combined with climate change that decreases the krill population. The “Overfishing of Krill Threatens Ocean Ecosystem” headline should really have a “Potential” in front of it. Here’s one portion of their introduction or lede:

  “So far, difficulties in processing krill on ships, high fuel prices and the expense of sending fleets to the bottom of the globe has kept a lid on annual catches, which remain far below levels set under a treaty governing Antarctic marine life.”

  I suspect that two things will keep future yields below the same levels: 1) rising gasoline prices (costs of sending fleets is increasing, not decreasing), and 2) food security legislation, particularly with an organism low on the food chain.

  Hope that helps!

  Tim

• sean808080
  July 24th, 2008
  8:05 am
  

  thanks for highlighting this natural alternative to nsaids.

  i’m going to check krill oil out. i wonder what you think of prevention magazine?

• Pearl Jewelry
  July 24th, 2008
  8:32 am
  

  I live in Vancouver, Canada and for the last little while this whole topic has got a lot of media buzz, but I can tell you first hand I gave it 2 month trial and documented everything about how i felt, how my stress levels were in response to work demands, etc …..

  Bottom line i do feel much better, have a more focused and longer energy level, as a long time fish oil user I wont go back, Krill is where it is at……
  Just be careful as to where you get the stuff from and do some research on the company you are using as mercury levels can be very high depending on actually source, etc

  best of luck

• Annie
  July 24th, 2008
  9:02 am
  

  I just started taking flax oil capsules. I’m about a month in to the bottle and already noticed 2 interesting effects:
  1) Skin is not dry whatsoever.
  2) Significant decrease in stiff joints post running

  I’m now wondering if they are on par with fish &/or krill oils, or in a class of their own. Time to investigate!

• Gabby
  July 24th, 2008
  9:06 am
  

  “Krill are heavily fished commercially. The krill fishery has been the largest fishery in the Southern Ocean for the last 25 years, particularly in Ukraine, Poland and Japan. Because krill are at the center of the Antarctic food web, these countries have signed an agreement limiting the size of krill catches to hopefully keep a large enough population for the larger animals that feed on them such as baleen whales, penguins and seals.”

  Question: How have we managed to survive without Krill oil? Do we really need to rob marine life of their food supply when there are healthy alternatives? No!

• Mark
  July 24th, 2008
  9:26 am
  

  Interesting choice of headline. It’s a bit sensationalist to suggest that krill is “48x” as potent as fish oil. The line you derive that headline from simply suggests that the natural ORAC (antioxidant) capacity of krill is 48x higher than that of fish oil. But no one in their right mind takes either for its antioxidant capacity. For example, when you look at ORAC, the amount of krill Tim takes offers less than 5% of what might be considered the “DV” (or RDA) of antioxidants. We get orders of magnitude more antioxidants from fruits and vegetables (or other supplements). We take krill or fish oil supplements because they are great sources of DHA and EPA. And it that regard, they are virtually identical (subjective reports of diminished PMS symptoms in one study notwithstanding). Furthermore, most fish oil refiners add vitamin E to the oil as an antioxidant to give stability and add shelf-life, so the comparative shelf lives are also similar. I really don’t see one as being “better” than the other…intead, I see two alternative choices, either of which might represent the single best supplement choice you could make if you were only to take one supplement.

• Nico
  July 24th, 2008
  10:44 am
  

  Hi Tim,

  Krill oil looks like it has some killer antioxidant properties! But some suspect that introducing antioxidants can prevent your body’s repair mechanisms from acting optimally. What’s your take?

  Supposedly, when the body senses oxidative stress, it begins the process of repairing cells as well as growing new muscle. Antioxidant supplementation attenuates this response by mopping up the free radicals, causing the body to perceive less damage than there really is.

  Here’s some related research links found at the ever-truthy Wikipedia –
  http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=923220
  http://rparticle.web-p.cisti.nrc.ca/rparticle/AbstractTemplateServlet?journal=cjpp&volume=76&year=&issue=&msno=y98-047&calyLang=eng

  Nico

• Etavitom
  July 24th, 2008
  1:29 pm
  

  thanks for the wisdom tim! interesting post.

• Kenn Nesbitt
  July 24th, 2008
  2:07 pm
  

  Tim,

  Thanks for posting this article by Dr. Eades. It’s worth noting that you should read the label on the krill oil you buy to check the EPA/DHA content. While Neptune may produce “virtually all” of the krill oil sold to supplement companies, they are not the only producer.

  Another company, Cyvex (http://www.cyvex.com) produces a krill oil they call KriaXanthin. Based on the nutrition labels of the various products, it appears that Neptune Krill Oil has more than three times as much EPA/DHA (240mg per 1g) as KriaXanthin (only 70mg per 1g). (Both products seem to have the same amount of astaxanthin; 1.5mg).

  I don’t know if this huge difference is due to Neptune’s patented process or not, but I would be inclined to avoid the KriaXanthin in favor of NKO if these numbers are accurate. Caveat emptor, in any case.

  As an aside, I take 3g EPA/DHA daily, in the form of pharmaceutical grade fish oil, for it’s anti-inflammatory benefits. Without it, I experience mild chronic joint pains. With it, I am pain free. I’ve have yet to see another supplement with such dramatic results, and I will definitely be looking into the krill oil. Thanks again for posting Dr. Eades article!

• Jeremy
  July 24th, 2008
  2:09 pm
  

  Gabby–

  “Question: How have we managed to survive without Krill oil? Do we really need to rob marine life of their food supply when there are healthy alternatives? No!”

  What are the healthy alternatives?

• Ingrid
  July 24th, 2008
  2:43 pm
  

  Hey,
  I love all the stuff you have going on your blog. About this one though, I do wonder about raping another of earth’s amazing resources. Let’s all remember, krill is one of the elements at the bottom of the food chain for all life in the sea…are we going to wipe it out too. I know, 500 million tons but with 6 billion people in the world…500 million gets smaller very quickly…just a thought

• Krill Oil?! | 2tor, Inc.
  July 24th, 2008
  2:47 pm
  

  [...] Dr. Michael Eades wrote a piece on how Krill Oil, only manufactured by pretty much only one company (Neptune Technologies), can make the health benefits of fish oil pale in comparison.  It’s more expensive, but pretty easy to get.  You can order it off the Neptune Technologies website. General [...]

• Chris
  July 24th, 2008
  3:21 pm
  

  Dr. Eades sells krill oil on his website. http://www.proteinpower.com/products.php

  So are advertisements going to pass as blog posts from now on? At least offer a disclosure. Even better would be an objective analysis.

• Justin
  July 24th, 2008
  4:15 pm
  

  Interesting article.

  On the need for omega-3′s: Humans used to eat a lot of omega-3′s from fish and naturally fed livestock and game (not to mention grains and nuts). Over the course of our evolution our biology has had these substances. The Industrial Revolution (and a significant change in human diet) is relatively new compared to evolutionary time scales. It makes sense that supplementing our diets with these lipids either from natural sources or high quality supplements to levels that were common for our pre-modern ancestors might have health benefits. I don’t buy that these are miracle cures, though. The one solid use for fish bourne omega-3′s are triglyceride lowering medicines. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16832161?dopt=Abstract — although the exact method in which n-3 omega 3′s reduce triglycerides is not fully understood)

  Concerning flax seed oil and other ‘short chain’ omega-3′s: There is evidence that the vegetal based omega-3′s are less beneficial to you than the animal-derived long chain lipids.

  See this presentation. Other documents on this site are very interesting:

  http://www.lipidsonline.org/slides/talk_cme_activity.cfm?CME_activityid=126&talk_pk=42&tk=42&shownotes=1

• Jose Castro-Frenzel
  July 24th, 2008
  5:17 pm
  

  Oh btw, just an FYI to everyone out there. You can get the internet price of the Vitamin Shoppee if you just ask for it in the store. They will honor it, just ask for it. This will save you anywhere from 15%-50% off the marked prices in stores.

  Jose

• Matt
  July 24th, 2008
  6:20 pm
  

  Hi Tim,

  Awesome! Keep em comming!

  -Matt

• Matt
  July 24th, 2008
  6:24 pm
  

  Hey Tim,

  I was on the Arnold recommended 6g of fish oil a day. Do you think this is exsessive? I was wondering how many mg of Krill Oil you take a day?

  -Matt

• Marcie
  July 24th, 2008
  7:44 pm
  

  I had read about krill oil on Dr. Mercola’s site, but I am still concerned about how we humans are screwing with the food chain (among other things) which we (ironically of course) need to survive. I appreciate this discussion.

  “The world does not exist solely for the betterment and multiplication of mankind.” — one of my favorite quotes :)

  I will be watching this one closely, before I decide to buy. Even as my husband and I are having issues with many of the exact symptoms described that this elixer should correct.

  I think we can be more okay by reducing stress #1 – and eating more fresh, local food to include ***healthy fats***!

  To be continued :) Excellent discussion.

• Luke
  July 24th, 2008
  9:17 pm
  

  From a holistic perspective, it would seem that a krill supplement would be much more healthy than taking fish oil. If I’m correct, fish oil is derived from the fishes liver and that would also contain toxins that the fish absorbed during the end of its life. That’s not something you want in your body… Correct me if i’m wrong, but krill seems like a better alternative based on that alone.

• Tetsuo
  July 25th, 2008
  12:31 am
  

  So what is this really, a commercial for krill oil? I don’t see how this is remotely relevant to the ostensible purpose of this blog. So Tim, how much are you making out of this then?

  The fact no-one else is seeing this for the transparent sales pitch it is dismays me to an astonishing degree.

  ###

  Hi Tetsuo,

  If you look at the “4-hour body” and “physical performance” categories, you’ll see that nutrition has been a part of this blog for some time. I can see how one might misread the blog post, but two things:

  1. This was written by Dr. Michael Eades.

  2. I don’t write blog posts for money. If I wanted more income, there are much more effective paths for me to take, including speaking, writing, investing, and consulting for companies.

  Hope that helps!

  Tim

• Chris
  July 25th, 2008
  5:45 am
  

  “The anti-oxidant potency of krill oil is such that when compared to fish oil in terms of ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorptance Capacity) values, it was found to be 48 times more potent than fish oil.”

  How was this measured? In-vitro? In vivo? An in-vitro assay can be promising, but it doesn’t mean that it will be as effective when tested in an animal model or even in a human as single cells are far less complex than organisms.

• Drew
  July 25th, 2008
  6:24 am
  

  On the flip side….

  It’s worth nothing that the body has endogenous and very tissue specific (read: effective) anti oxidant systems it uses and that consuming larger doses of *some* anti ox. compounds has been demonstrated to have a net PRO oxidative effect.

  ….especially after training…..

  Just thought you may want to know. Remember balance in reporting these things is always key.

• Drew
  July 25th, 2008
  6:33 am
  

  That should be:

  ‘it’s worth noting…’

  In my earlier post of course!

• Lance Haman
  July 25th, 2008
  10:45 am
  

  To: Tim Ferriss *NSCS Challenge Completed!* Tim, I didn’t see a way to email you directly so I hope you respond to this…I was at the NSCS convention in Florida, perhaps you remember me… I asked you about Lance Armstrong and for advice after your speech… Anyways I wanted to let you know that I was able to talk to an “untouchable” and ask two questions for your challenge because TONY DUNGY, the Colts football coach, was doing a book signing at the Mall of America! I can send you pictures of the book and the event photos to prove it. Just let me know what I need to do. Lance

• Jack
  July 25th, 2008
  4:22 pm
  

  I took a bottle of Dr. Mercola’s krill oil. The negative is that the capsules are fat and hurt me to swallow (maybe I have thin plumbing?). Anyway I solved that by grinding up the capsules in my blender with a shake. This does NOT give it a fishy taste, which does happen if you put unflavored cod liver oil in a shake.

  What results did I get from taking the krill? Now I feel more… krilly.

• Jordan Daniels
  July 25th, 2008
  5:58 pm
  

  Interesting post. I will keep to my fish oil.

• Anna Sabino
  July 25th, 2008
  7:22 pm
  

  @Tetsuo
  If you read Tim’s posts from before, you’ll notice that he touches on nutrition topics periodically, which I find very interesting and enriching.

  I have had only limited amount of info about krill oil before, I was glad to look closer into this alternative.

• Chris
  July 25th, 2008
  7:47 pm
  

  Krill are a major source of food for every other sea creature that eats them, including whales and fish.

  I would hate to see human harvesting of the bottom of the food chain,
  and its resulting total destruction of whole ecosystems.

  Krill hunting = very bad idea.

  Controlled Krill Farming, possibly a very good idea…

• Coach Kip
  July 26th, 2008
  4:48 am
  

  Great post. I have had joint problems for a little while and have been experimenting with Omega-3. I need to keep up with it though and do a better job.

  I had never heard of krill oil before but it makes complete sense. If it can feed a whale then I am sure that it has some good health benefits.

• Toilet Paper Entrepreneur
  July 26th, 2008
  10:31 am
  

  Tim,

  I felt healthier just reading your article. Thanks for the great posts, man. I love all the out of the box stuff you introduce to my head.

  - Mike Michalowicz

• Weekly Roundup - weekend gadget version « LifeApps
  July 26th, 2008
  10:58 am
  

  [...] guru Tim Ferriss’s blog featured a guest post yesterday by Dr. Michael Eades regarding the remarkable health benefits of krill oil. Like fish oil, krill contains both of the omega-3 fats, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and [...]

• Kat
  July 26th, 2008
  11:12 am
  

  Having had a mild allergy to shellfish all of life I simply don’t eat seafood. Can’t stand the smell or taste either. I tried krill oil from Costco and sure enough, in a week,I developed itching and bumps on my arms and legs.
  So I am leaving the krill for the whales and returning to flax and fish oil-scales
  not shelled variety. When I cut the krill the allergic reaction went away.

  Krilling Me Softly

• Sunday
  July 26th, 2008
  12:54 pm
  

  Tim, ***Authors***, and all others,

  I’m afraid that my previous one-line questions are getting lost in heated discussions of Amish culture, krill oil benefits, and uses of JIT systems.

  So let me start by saying, technically, this should be considered OFF TOPIC.

  I’ve realized that I have esoteric knowledge in a specialized area that is not related to my existing business. There is a thirsty crowd that is seeking what my grey matter is holding.

  Solution? Book.

  (This was a lightbulb moment experienced while reading Tim’s book. So, thank you Tim!)

  I know what you are thinking, and the answer is, no, it is not going to be titled:

  THE 3-HOUR WORKWEEK
  Escape the Four Hour Workweek, Live Everywhere, and Compete with Tim Ferriss in Dance Competitions across the Globe

  My big question for authors:

  What are the benefits and drawbacks to offering a book as an ebook, or as an ebook only?

  The little questions:

  Is there any way to protect an ebook from being distributed all over kingdom come once purchased by one user?
  What are the benefits/drawbacks to getting or not getting an ISBN?
  What are the benefits/drawbacks to using a full-service publisher? On-demand publisher?
  How would you recommend new authors select the price for their book(s)? Are there any other resources that you would suggest for such an endeavor?

  Thank you for your help, kind bloggers.

  ~Sunday

  PS: Tim, have you read The Birth Order Book by Kevin Leman? You strike me as a first-born, or at least a “functional” first born. Would you share your birth order to settle my curiosity?

• Jack Scott
  July 26th, 2008
  2:20 pm
  

  Hi Tim -

  You may or may not know this about the different types of olive oils. It is a widely held belief that extra virgin olive oil is by far the healthiest.

  Extra virgin – considered the best, least processed, comprising the oil from the first pressing of the olives.
  Virgin – from the second pressing.
  Pure – undergoes some processing, such as filtering and refining.
  Extra light – undergoes considerable processing and only retains a very mild olive flavour.

• akthe47
  July 26th, 2008
  10:49 pm
  

  Sunday: With such open-ended questions, perhaps you should hire a business consultant rather than seek free advice on the net for what sounds like a report.

  It’s kind of hilarious at times what people ask strangers to do for them, as if we owe it to them.

• Sunday
  July 26th, 2008
  11:40 pm
  

  @akthe47

  Interesting. I often give free advice or provide resources to those who come to me seeking knowledge in my area of expertise. Are you suggesting that I should tell them to take a hike instead because it is also my business and livelihood?

  I’ve noticed that, when given the opportunity to help someone learn and grow, people will indeed share resources. Without compensation. Imagine that.

  Thank you for your contribution to this forum.

  ~Sunday

• DanGTD
  July 27th, 2008
  8:37 am
  

  I think that all people with allergies to seafood shouldn’t use krill oil, not only those with allergies to shrimps.

• Skyler Tanner
  July 27th, 2008
  8:02 pm
  

  This seems to be an expensive way to get the same benefits that fish oil and sesamin extract give when used together. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

  Best,
  Skyler

• Jose Castro-Frenzel
  July 27th, 2008
  8:42 pm
  

  Just another alternative Skyler, man cannot advance without testing new waters and venturing outside the comfort zone.

  Regards,

  Jose

• Jason
  July 28th, 2008
  8:34 am
  

  Tim, given that your information is on the edge of popular culture, I was wondering if you would look into Helminthic Therapy. Maybe have a piece called “Cure all your allergies, asthma and arthritis in just 4 hours”.

• Jose Castro-Frenzel
  July 28th, 2008
  2:04 pm
  

  Broadway and Wall Street is available to you if you need a place to crash while in NYC.

  Let me know

  Jose Castro-Frenzel

• sean
  July 28th, 2008
  2:10 pm
  

  Tim,

  Have you done any research or know anyone who has on HGH (Human Growth Hormone)?

  Sean

• Rip
  July 28th, 2008
  4:36 pm
  

  Why do you people sign your comments? Your name is listed at left.

  <——–

• Alex Pyatetsky
  July 28th, 2008
  10:24 pm
  

  Well, i’ve been on Tim’s lose 20 lbs in 30 days diet for about a month now, and it has definitely been working. Not quite at the that rate, but I think its because I’m a much smaller guy and I take my free days a little TOO seriously, haha. Regardless, the results have been immense and I’m very happy.

  My current body composition is 11% @ 149 lbs (I’m 5’6″). My goal is to reach 7% to FINALLY get that 6 pack I’ve been wanting for years. Fat loss is KEY.

  MY QUESTION-

  About a month ago, I bought a bottle of cold pressed flax seed oil for the omega3 benefits. Since then I have only taken it once. My main concern is that the fat will not be metabolized and will get stored as additional flubber (fat), which I’m trying to eliminate. I know everyone raves about these healthy supplemental oils, but are they really compatible/beneficial to fat loss goals? Also, as Tim’s diet suggests, I do get some healthy fats from walnuts, almonds, some olive oil, grilled salmon and other fish, etc. Is there a threshold at which my “healthy fat” consumption is too high and will begin getting stored in fat cells? This is my biggest concern.

  Thanks in advance to anyone that responds.

• Drew
  July 29th, 2008
  5:47 am
  

  I have just blogged about the use of these oils and your different options for supplements and foods for correcting omega 3:6 ratios. Just lick my name over there on the left….

  As for

  “I’ll stick to olive for the time being :)”

  Nestor, keep in mind this is a little like saying….

  ‘forget the trumpet, I’ll stick to a bicycle for the time being :)’

  They may be made out of broadly similar materials but they have quite different functions.

  PUFA supplements are aimed at shifting your omega 3 to 6 balance. Olive oil, with a balance of > than 1:8 (omega 3:6) if will do nothing positive for this ratio. Oilve oil is something to include in a good varied diet though!

• Stefanie
  July 29th, 2008
  6:28 am
  

  Orgasmic pie, huh? Sounds like you need a baker, not eHarmony.

• Philip Fortuna
  July 29th, 2008
  11:11 am
  

  Hey Tim,

  Thanks for another great post on nutrition.

  You’ve touched on mobile training in one or two of your posts, I was wondering if you’d do a whole blog post on how you keep in shape while on the road.

  Thanks!

• John
  July 29th, 2008
  11:28 am
  

  Interesting post!

  I went over to my local vitamin store to grab some krill oil and had a hard time finding it. What is interesting is that it is not in the same section as all the other similar Oil’s (flax, grape, fish).

  I found it on the bottom shelf in the section for joint and womens health. It has been marketed mainly to women looking for PMS relief and older people with arthritis. Looks like the makers of fish oil are trying to keep this away from their products? The people that worked there didn’t even know what i was talking about until we looked it up online and they saw what the bottle looked like. It is definatly not one of those FAD pills at the moment.

  Tim – Is this something that has replaced your flaxseed oil or supplemented your flaxseed intake?

• JonM
  July 30th, 2008
  1:35 am
  

  Just waiting for the first post advocating snake oil as being 48x more powerful than krill oil?

  We need a really good study on the effects of omega-3 on the general population – there’s still no wide medical acceptance that omega-3 supplements have health benefits.

• MadMad
  July 31st, 2008
  7:11 pm
  

  Hi Tim,

  I’ve heard and read the same great things about krill oil. It’s been described to me as being “like fish oil on steroids.” BUT, according to Charles Poliquin anyway, all the current sources and suppliers of krill oil for some reason are presently sub-standard — I’m not sure why that is, but something about the global supply of it basically being shite right now. (Hopefully just temporarily). I’ll have to look into it more; you might want to do the same.

• Dr. Fellars
  July 31st, 2008
  10:05 pm
  

  I love krill oil. In fact, I have found it to be such a benefit I have joined a company that promotes health through ingredients from the ocean. You can check it out by clicking on my name. This is a great place to pick up some krill oil and support a company that believes in giving back to the environment in a big way.

• Hugh Hancock
  August 4th, 2008
  4:46 am
  

  Interesting post. However, I’d have appreciated a larger disclaimer saying it wasn’t by Tim! I’ve been reading the blog for a while, and have appreciated Tim’s various articles on nutrition. I don’t read Dr Eades, and don’t know his background. Particularly given he has a financial interest in the sales of Krill oil (although I accept that may well be because he thinks it’s a good product), I’d have felt this article to be more useful if it had included a prominent mention of the alternate author.

• _Jon
  August 4th, 2008
  9:25 am
  

  Based on this advice, I ordered some.
  I *hate* seafood. Taste, smell, texture, etc., the smell in a store will make me ill.

  I have tried various kinds of fish oil capsules and always taste it in burps. I have been diagnosed with Acid Reflux (GIRD) stage 3, which is about as bad as it gets.

  I took my first two krill oil capsules today.

  I have burped dozens of times since (as usual), but I have had no fish taste. Nothing unpleasant.

  If the other benefits are as good as this non-effect, I’ll be a very happy man.

• Ami
  August 5th, 2008
  7:10 am
  

  As an FYI in response to A.M’s post on July 23rd regarding the lack of seller’s disclosure of the amounts of vitamin A and other ingredients in their krill oil capsules…

  Dr. Mercola lists all the ingredients in the ANTARCTIC PURE KRILL OIL he sells.

  2 Softgels contain:

  1,000 mg genuine neptune Krill Oil
  100 IU vitamin A
  400 mg omega-3 rich phospholipids
  150 mg EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)
  90 mg DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)
  20 mg omega-6 fatty acids
  1.5 mg astaxanthin

  Sincerely,
  Ami

• Hue
  August 7th, 2008
  6:45 am
  

  Phillip, where does Tim mention mobile training? I second your request, a post on diet and exercise while travelling would be excellent.

  thanks

  Hue

• Patrick
  August 10th, 2008
  4:06 pm
  

  Someone mentioned the idea of controlled farming of Krill.
  However, this approach hasn’t been particularly successful other types of fish and sea creatures.

  Have a look at this article in the Washington Post:
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8743-2004Jun26.html

  “They note that out of the 215 stocks the government tracks, one-third, or 76, are being fished faster than they can reproduce.”

  So it seems to me that the issue of overfarming Krill is a real concern, giving the human track record on this planet with other marine creatures that we eat and overdeplete.

• Michel
  August 14th, 2008
  9:55 am
  

  Does anyone knows how this krill oil is produced? I checked Neptune’s patents and it appears they are using solvent extraction. Now it is not to interesting to ingest something extracted by chemical solvents. Any comments?

• Penne
  August 14th, 2008
  11:02 am
  

  @Jeremy/Alex:

  Gleaned from Dr. Douglas Graham’s collection of articles at FoodnSport.com:

  -=-Because they are refined from their original state, oils are no longer safe to ingest into the body. In their concentrated forms, they are pure fat and large amounts of that fat will be directly absorbed into the bloodstream, adversely affecting the blood viscosity (thickness) and the blood chemistry. However, eating some fresh olives, coconut flesh, or sunflower seeds, in moderation, is not bad for you. These whole foods assuredly contain plenty of fat but it is in a form that is combined with all the essential nutrients designed by nature to accompany that fat.-=-

  In his book, “The 80/10/10 Diet,” Dr. D recommends a minimum of 80% Carbs, and a maximum of 10% Protein and 10% Fat for daily intake. Thanks for the opportunity to share this with my pal, Tim (long time, not talk — glad to see things are still going swimmingly! ;-) and fellow blog fans!

  Vayan con Dios, Amigos ~ I AM!

• Anon
  August 21st, 2008
  11:10 pm
  

  I just thought I’d point out that the first paper listed in this article is in no way “from UC Berkeley”. The guy got his PhD there and was a lecturer there more than 20 years ago.

• Edward Shepherd
  August 26th, 2008
  10:10 pm
  

  Tim, you fitness nuthead.

  I think you are as insanely obsessed with finding this cool stuff as I am , yet I don’t have a book on the bestseller list – yet.

  As always you have done your homework and deserve the rewards for your continuous hard work. Thanks for digging these nuggets out for us lazy A$$es.

  Here is another ‘thumbs up’ from that Dr Weil fella that says Krill oil is better than sex … sorta.
  http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA400239

• Hobolicious
  September 10th, 2008
  1:45 pm
  

  Most claim krill is safe as it’s low on the food chain. However, krill, like all other antarctic marine life, are polluted with organochlorine compounds.

  ABSTRACT

  Occurrence of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and their enantiomeric signatures, and concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the Adélie penguin food web, Antarctica.
  Corsolini S, Covaci A, Ademollo N, Focardi S, Schepens P.

  Department of Environmental Science G. Sarfatti, University of Siena, via P.A. Mattioli, 4, I-53100 Siena, Italy. corsolini@unisi.it

  Concentrations and enantiomeric signatures of organochlorine pesticides were determined in Antarctic krill, emerald rockcod and Adélie penguin from the Ross Sea, Antarctica. HCB and DDTs were prevalent contaminants in penguin eggs. The highest concentrations of SigmaHCHs (1.35 +/- 0.72 ng/g) were found in the rockcod muscle, where gamma-HCH (1.23 +/- 0.67 ng/g) was the principal isomer. The ratio gamma-HCH/alpha-HCH was evaluated. Enantioselective gas chromatography was used for the evaluation of enantiomeric fractions (EFs) for alpha-HCH and oxychlordane. An increase of 14% in the (+)alpha-HCH enantiomer was found from krill through penguin, suggesting the enantioselective biotransformation increased proportionately with trophic level. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured and their concentrations were 5.6 +/- 1.12, 5.81 +/- 2.32, 4.57 +/- 0.17 and 3.06 +/- 3.27 ng/g lipids in krill, rockcod muscle, rockcod homogenate and penguin eggs, respectively. The detection of BDE28, BDE47, BDE99 and BDE100 in Antarctic organisms confirmed their global transport and distribution; the detection of lower brominated congeners suggested a potential long-range transport.

• _Jon
  September 11th, 2008
  9:18 am
  

  Thanks for the info, Hobolicious, but I have some questions;
  (I apologize if this seems rude)
  - Does anyone doubt that trace elements are carried in smaller organisms throughout the food chain? Isn’t that like saying water is wet? (apologies for the snark)
  - Do the numbers you present represent a positive help or potential harm for the consumer? While technical information like this is great, without context it is worse than not having it. I don’t know what Polybrominated diphenyl ethers are, don’t know if they are good or bad, and I’m not going to look them up. (OK, I looked it up in wikipedia. Yep, PBDEs accumulate. Nothing about how that is bad.)
  - And – very importantly – I see a lot of studies that show high cholesterol is bad and can result in an early, painful death via heart attack or stroke. The question for me (the consumer) is whether I am willing to risk potential PBDE accumulation in exchange for lower cholesterol and the other benefits of Krill. Everything has risk. I need to know the relative risk of one versus the other.

  Thanks for the info, but how about some context?

• becsana
  September 17th, 2008
  2:41 pm
  

  why fish or krill – why not flaxseed oil? Flaxseed oil beats all of them hands down and as far as I’m aware is not allergenic. Not only this but it’s more environmentally friendly, and doesn’t kill any animals.

• get rid of love handles
  October 24th, 2008
  7:51 am
  

  Another oil to consider is “Udos Oil” which was formulated by a man named Udo Erasmus.

  This has been a popular oil used in fasting and various health retreats around the world and is perhaps the best source of Omega 3, 6 and 9 varieties of essential fatty acids.

  Contrary to popular opinion, the fats in EFAs (essential fatty acids) actually help you lose weight!

  The heavy acids and toxins in our bodies (consumed through our environment and particular foods) pack on unsightly belly fat. EFA’s actually help regulate and normalize those acids in our bodies which, in turn, have an amazing fat burning effect (while boosting your energy and overall health).

• neck and back pain relief
  October 30th, 2008
  3:07 am
  

  Fantastic article!

  In addition to helping to provide long term pain relief, essential fatty acids (like the Omega 3s found in Krill Oil) help your body to:

  1. Strengthen the immune system
  2. Increase energy, performance, and stamina
  3. Lower most risk factors for cardiovascular disease
  4. Improve brain function: mood, intelligence, behavior, and vision
  5. Aid in weight reduction
  6. Speed recovery and healing
  7. Improve digestion
  8. Decrease infection
  9. Produce beautiful skin, hair, and nails
  10. Regulate organs and glands

  In fact, it’s been proven in a scientific study that athletes consuming EFAs on a regular basis have increased their stamina from 40-60%, recovered faster, added muscle more easily and had less pain.

  The benefits are numerous….

• Jeff
  November 12th, 2008
  2:41 am
  

  This is not really connected, but i was wondering what your thoughts were on human growth hormone. I am not trying to get huge, or become a giant, I was just wondering if you think that HGH will keep us all healthier, happier and sexier for a lot longer than in days gone by….I have heard about supplements that make you feel better, and they are advertised as HGH, so what does tim ferris think???

• Low-Carb-Supplements.com » Blog Archive » STOP TAKING FISH OIL NOW!!
  November 13th, 2008
  9:04 am
  

  [...] was turned on to Krill Oil after reading a story about it at Tim Ferriss’ 4 Hour Work Week blog. According to Tim, krill oil, much like fish oil, contains both of the omega-3 fats, [...]

• Tak
  January 10th, 2009
  6:13 pm
  

  How about phytoplankton?

  Krill eat phytoplankton and phytoplankton contains EPA and DHA apparently also hooked up in a double chain phospholipid structure.

  It’s already being farmed so there’s no need to fear depleting the natural supply.

• Ani
  January 21st, 2009
  9:01 pm
  

  Flax seed is NOT the same as fish oil/cod liver oil. The bio-availability ratio of flax vs fish is 20 to 1 (or more). Flax comes from a plant and needs to convert in your body to epa and dha, which is an extremely difficult conversion process since most of us are defficient in a digestive enzyme (d6)…mainly bc of our “western diet”.

  Fish oil is much more effective.

  The few studies written on Krill oil (objectively we should look at pubmed.gov) are useless from the perspective of human nutrition. How many studies do we really have on animals and humans when it comes to Krill oil??

• Jon
  March 19th, 2009
  10:13 am
  

  I was introduced to Krill oil through studying about supplements while working out with my personal trainer. I have found a source of Krill oil that is effective and I also use that company to sustain my lifestyle just as taught in your book. I love it thanks for the information

  Jon

• Jason
  March 31st, 2009
  9:28 am
  

  While the advantages of krill oil are numerous, even potentially better than that of the traditional fish oils, you have to look at the impact and the sustainability of such practices. Working in the health and fitness industry I am very aware of the benefits to be had with omega-3 supplementation and personally take Nordic Naturals Omega-3 fish oil on a daily basis

  However, I am somewhat concerned about the impact it may have on the ecosystem. Considering krill is the food source for Blue whales among many other very large animals the supply of krill is integral to their survival.

  The concept of omega-3 supplementation is strictly to rebalance the ratio of omega-3′s (anti-inflammatory) to omega-6′s (pro-inflammatory). Living off a traditional diet the average individual consumed a ratio of approximately 1:2 to 1:4 omega-3′s to omega-6′s. In recent years that ratio has shifted upwards of 1:20 omega-3′s to omega-6′s. This can be seen in the increased prevalence of degenerative disease.

  The major issue should be to address why we have made such a large shift in the past 20 years or so not continue to try to add more supplements to our list in hopes of overcoming our bad habits. Again I personally take moderate amounts of fish oil on a daily basis and think it is a good general prevention idea. The idea of starting to exploit a food source that humans have never directly consumed at the potential detriment of other species seems somewhat arrogant on our part.

  Sorry for being somewhat long-winded but I think it is important to understand multiple facets of any decision that is made.

• Tancie Trail
  April 7th, 2009
  2:23 pm
  

  Thanks for the concise advice. I am on my way to grab a bottle now. I hope that it also helps to hydrate my hair, skin and nails! We shall see…
  Tance
  P.S. I am grateful to Tim Ferriss for all the awareness, perspective and brilliance of life he offers to the world. Merci Tim !!

• Krill Oil 48x Better Than Fish Oil? « David’s Web Nuggets
  April 10th, 2009
  5:56 pm
  

  [...] Krill Oil 48x Better Than Fish Oil? Krill Oil 48x Better Than Fish Oil?. [...]

• Jay
  April 15th, 2009
  5:22 pm
  

  E. Superba are small marine crustaceans the size of a paperclip. They are one of the most abundant sources of marine nutrients on the planet. Their biomass in all the oceans of the world is estimated at 400 to 500 million tons. They reproduce at a high rate because of the abundant availability of marine phytoplankton in the Antarctic oceans. The harvests of krill in the Antarctic is regulated by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). The total amount of krill they allow to be harvested is about one percent of the total annual biomass—and easily sustainable amount.
  The entire annual catch is well below 110,000 tons. As fishing grows due to popularity of the product, experts agree that the harvesting levels are well within the limits set by CCAMLR. They agree that even at significant growth of harvests there are no detrimental effects to other species that feed on krill.
  What is CCAMLR?
  The mission of CCAMLR is to preserve the ecosystems of all species of marine life in the oceans of the southern hemisphere. There are 25 nations involved in setting standards for fishing licenses. Because fishing in these waters under extreme weather conditions is so difficult and the costs are so high, only the most dedicated enterprises are willing to through the stringent and highly restricted processes.
  The floating factories that we use only operate according to the highest environmental standards and within fishing territories with easily sustainable ecosystems. Our commitment is to always respect the environment and preserve this extremely valuable resource for the benefit of the entire planet at a time when we all need it so desperately.

• Jay
  April 15th, 2009
  5:05 pm
  

  Here is good source of Krill Oil. It is the best on the market. They have third party test results to back them up. They have lots of info on Krill.

  Here is an excerpt from one of the third party lab that tested their K48-Plus, Neptune (NKO) and MegaRed from Sam’s Club:
  “The total fatty acid compositions K48-Plus is substantially different that the composition of Neptune (NKO) and MegaRed. The differences are caused by the use of added oils of differential sources. The oil used in K48-Plus is pure E. Superba extract while the oil in Neptune (NKO) and Big Red is probably a plant oil with low amounts of PUFA’s. This dilutes the oil, making it less expensive but also less effective.”

  With the research pointing to the many health benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, it seems only logical to incorporate such a supplement into your diet. However, customers must be aware that only the best quality supplements on the market may offer the many cardiovascular, circulatory, as well help with many other health concerns and general health benefits these unique fatty acids offer. It is important to understand that not all Omega-3 products are equal therefore you must be informed about what is contained in these products and which ingredients work the best. As Omega-3 products become more popular, an increasing number of mediocre products have flooded the market and many of these products are ineffective, making them a complete waste of money.

  More and more the scientific community is proving the benefits of Omega 3 supplementation. It would be nice if we could get the proper balance from diet alone but that seems unlikely.

• Kay
  April 28th, 2009
  8:06 pm
  

  hey Tim,
  I really like this article (thanks Dr. Michael Eades!) and I love the responses even more! I’m currently studying environmental and wildlife management so the comments on the concerns of the marine ecosystem made me smile – I love a reminder that people care.

  Just to let everyone know, there’s also another alternative, algae oil. From what I know (I say this because I have no source) it is the initial link where all the other species get the omega3 from. Also, it is sustainable, grows relatively fast and photosynthesizes so it actually reduces the CO2 in the atmosphere! And for those who are vegan it is 100% animal product and animal bi-product free (even the capsule)!

  Also, as a student with ADD and dyslexia, I have to say that omega3 is really the way to go!

  Thanks! Looking forward to exploring this site even more!

• Mandy Meek
  May 21st, 2009
  10:19 am
  

  the attack on the ocean specifically is the most appalling thing i have ever seen, with all the fish we never thought we could out-fish going extinct and causing ecological havoc.

  this product actually can be used without upsetting the ecosystem, and actually seems worth it, it currently has my favor.

• John
  June 11th, 2009
  9:32 am
  

  Can you buy quality krill oil at Sams Club or Walgreens?

• John
  June 11th, 2009
  9:34 am
  

  I opened a bottle of krill oil capsules, I thought it smelled fishy…is that normal?

• _Jon
  June 14th, 2009
  8:16 am
  

  Yes, it smells like that.

  There is no aftertaste or burping taste.

  It is working well for me.

• mj
  June 14th, 2009
  2:23 pm
  

  Just like fish oil, krill oil is unsustainable! Instead look for Algae DHA and load up on flax oil to help produce sufficient EPA levels.

• Andy
  June 22nd, 2009
  1:35 pm
  

  I started taking krill oil the same day my cholesterol results came out. 3 months ago my total cholesterol was 223, triglycerides 516, HDL 33 and the LDL couldn’t be read because of my high triglycerides level. I started taking krill oil, eating oatmeal every morning and work out twice a week for an half an hour. I was so worried about my triglycerides level but now after 3 months my tri went down to 257, HDL is up to 37, total cholesterol is 220 down only to three points but my LDL now has a number it’s 132 compared to months ago where it couldn’t get a reading because of my high tri. Desirable LDL is less than 100. I will continue taking krill oil (Mega Red). I shall continue taking this krill oil as it surely did wonders to me.

• Tim Ferriss
  July 16th, 2009
  7:05 pm
  

  From Marcie:

  Tim – I thought you would find this article interesting for a couple reasons, 1) the sustainability of krill does indeed seem to have become an issue and 2) the stuff they are feeding to farmed salmon (and shrimp if you click through to the cheesecake factory article) is also…interesting, and gross. http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-15-taras-grescoe-on-factory-salmon-farming/ (The author, Tom, is a neighbor of mine in the mountains, but I have not met him yet :))

  Thanks!
  Marcie

• Chuck Bolder
  July 25th, 2009
  8:08 am
  

  If we’d combine krill oil with a diet that included Grass-fed meat,eggs,dairy products along with lots of green veggies we’d be much heathier. Our diets today compared to even the 1940′s show that we need to look at balancing our intake on Omega-6 and Omega-3 EFA’s. years ago it was close to a 2:1 ratio, today it runs from a 15-60:1 favoring Omega-6. Reason being our foods are heavily grain-fed and processed. Thus high levels of Omega-6.
  We need the 2 ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS in near 1:1 ratio. Omega-6 by nature is inflammatory where as Omega-3 is ANTI-inflammatory. Why do we have such a HIGH rate of Heart disease,Cancer,Obesity, Arthrits?? Mainly because of the inbalance of these two EFA’s. Lets wake-up and do something about it we’d see much better health.

• Vanessa Ingraham
  August 23rd, 2009
  8:50 pm
  

  Response to why we need fish/krill oil…

  Well we don’t technically need it. The problem is that most of our diets (90-95% of us) are deficient in ALA (omega 3′s). Only fish and krill oils contain a specific type of long chain fatty acid known as EPA. While you can get DHA from algae, the EPA is only found in fish/krill and maybe some other undiscovered see creature. The body is capable of converting a small percentage of our general dietary omega 3′s into EPA. However since most of us are vastly deficient in omega three to begin with, and only a small percentage can be converted to EPA/DHA many people choose to supplement. Studies vary in the percentage of omega 3 ALA-EPA conversion that is possible, and this depends on many different enzymes and cofactors (minerals and vitamens) and is said to be 0-36%. In a perfect would we would all eat a varied diet of densely mineralized foods with an omega6:3 ratio around 2:1. However this is verrry unlikely and in actuality our dietary ration of omega 3:6 is about 10-20:1.

  EPA and other omega 3′s are required for for the synthesis of eucosinoid hormones and a class of prostaglandins-chemical messengers (which quite the inflamatory response)- since many conditions from Cardiovascular disease to auto-immune conditions involve inflammation, this is key. DHA- is needed for proper neuronal function as well as brain and retinal health.

  In closing the choice is yours: Ideally we would up our intake of omega 3 (flax, hemp etc) clean up our diets and monitor symptoms, if there is not sufficient improvement then perhaps there is a problem with the conversion or maybe we have a genetically or epigenitically influenced lower conversion rate and we should definitely supplement.

  thats my piece,
  (i’m a vegan and do not use fish/krill oils, but i definitely see the value. On another note im also a fourth year Naturopathic student intern and i do think fish oils are over prescribed and we should address the root cause ie. dietary issues before we turn to supplements in general. )
  hope that helps
  V
  V.

• Vanessa Ingraham
  August 23rd, 2009
  8:55 pm
  

  oops sorry chuck for some reason i didn’t see you there. I could have saved my self some serious time. he says it perfectly and much more consicely. sorry i got excited when i read a couple of higher up.. its late forgive me..

• Peter Cox
  August 25th, 2009
  2:27 am
  

  Disturbing to see you giving space here to this notorious book-and-substance merchant. Are you not aware of his track record & form?

  If not, here’s a summary:

  http://www.anthonycolpo.com/Eades_Admits_Anthony_Colpo_Was_Right_On_Calories.html

  And here is the latest piece of evidence against his cult-like diet:

  http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/lowcarb-diet-damages-arteries-study-shows-1776780.html

• David
  September 9th, 2009
  8:43 am
  

  @ Peter Cox,

  To be fair, I tried reading your link to Anthony Colpo, but he is so full of anger and negativity, I couldn’t read but a few seconds.

  Tim Ferriss and many here ARE aware of Dr. Eades great track record and form. Personally, I have benefited me in so many practical ways from the writings of both of these amazing authors.

• Robbie Murchison
  September 11th, 2009
  1:26 pm
  

  I am vegetarian so do not want to take the krill oil. What can I replace it with?

• Mary
  September 15th, 2009
  10:39 am
  

  For vegetarians: you can eat a lot -LOT-of algae. Good luck with that.

  Oceans are fished out and fish farms are nasty. Krill is a crucial link in the food chain, and this fish oil craze is highly likely to disturb the ecosystem. What to do? Well don’t take supplements for no reason, moderate the toxins and bad fats so you don’t have to eat so much dead fish. Gross. And you have to get refined and standardized fish oil to get an assured ratio of the compounds you are seeking.
  A physician friend is treating himself and several patients with very high doses of fish oil for neurological conditions with some mixed success. Each person has a blood test and the dose is titrated for each.
  Fish oil is not without consequences to the environment or the body. So treat it like a drug in concentrated forms. I suspect that this fad will turn out to be not so great.
  Moderate….please

• Steven
  September 15th, 2009
  12:06 pm
  

  Dear dr. Michael Eades,

  I use krill oil against ADD, it’s a neurological condition related to ADHD. I have concentration problems mainly and reading a book can be very difficult.

  I use alot of krill oil capsules now (10-15) a day and it really works this. It’s even more effective then conventional meds. I never experienced any side effects these months I have been using krill oil, but I see the benefit.

  I really hope that others with this condition will learn about this new treatment.

• @kyleschen
  September 17th, 2009
  8:42 am
  

  I just started taking krill oil to replace fish oil. The first week was great. Noticeably increased alertness/focus

• Doug Parra
  October 12th, 2009
  5:56 am
  

  Does anyone have links to the actual full research on krill oil? I know the University of Western Ontario and McMaster Universitiy did a krill oil study. Does anyone know who funded the study or any of the studies done on fish and krill oil? The fish/krill oil industry is a 5 Billion dollar a year industry so people are pushing these oils for a reason. I am curious why everyone thinks we need omega 3 especially since we can make our own omega 3 fatty acids from meade acid an omega 9 fatty acid. Has anyone given it any thought as to how homosapiens got access to omega 3 oils from fish over the last 200,000 years of our evolution? Just 10,000 years ago we were still hunting and gathering and depending on where you were on the planet, not to mention it was much easier to find land animals for food than it was to fish, water was not easily accessible to go fishing. How did we fish way back then? Did we fish? What proof do we have of that? Or that fish was a major source of food for Neanderthal? My point is we have survived hundreds of thousands of years without fish oil being “essential” to our diets so why do we need them now? The answer is we don’t need them. If someone wants to see proof of that go read The Great Fish Oil Experiment by Dr. Ray Peat http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/fishoil.shtml and Oils in Context http://raypeat.com/articles/nutrition/oils-in-context.shtml. There are more scientific references listed by Ray Peat backing this up than I have seen anyone list anywhere else showing studies that we need these oils for our health (that have not been bought and paid for). Lastly does anyone here actually know what cholesterol is? It is not HDL and LDL as lipo-proteins are PROTEINS not cholesterol. Can anyone tell me what cholesterol is actually made up of and what they are used to create in our bodies? I’ll give you a hint…..h_r_o_es.

• mills
  November 7th, 2009
  12:58 pm
  

  yo if i take krill oil meanwhile smokeing weed will there be any sideaffects

• bachaprezes
  December 16th, 2009
  6:08 pm
  

  HA! HA! VERY GOOD MARKETING DR.EADES!!!
  HOPE NEPTUNE TECHNOLOGIES PAID YOU WELL FOR ADVERTISING AND LYING ABOUT NO SIDE EFFECTS AND SOME GIBBERISH ABOUT THE OIL SITTING IN WAREHOUSES FOR TO LONG (AND WHATS THE CONCLUSION?).
  HIGH FATTY ACIDS EQUALS LOOSE STOOLS AND DIARRHEA,
  ALLERGIES TO SHELLFISH OR ANY FISH OBVIOUSLY ( EVEN MILD
  REACTION-DO NOT TAKE KRILL OIL )
  AND KRILL OIL IS INTERFERING WITH BLOOD-THINING MEDICATIONS WHICH MEANS A RISK OF FATALITY.

• Linda
  December 16th, 2009
  10:13 pm
  

  Do you have any info on Fish Oil and pregnancy? I’m preparing to get pregnant and want to find the best company which screens for metals and uses oil from fish with the lowest likelihood of mercury. Any brand recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you. PS) I bought one that has other Omega’s in it besides Omega 3, not sure how important this is to have.

• tc turner
  January 5th, 2010
  12:56 am
  

  Tim,
  Checked into the Krill oil and have been taking it for ten weeks now, 500mg/day (neptune variety). Have realized astonishing results re: increased energy levels and especially with depression issues. I’m hooked, and happy to be so. My initial skepticism has turned to evangelical fanaticism. Seriously, depression gone. It’s like night and day. Thanks for reposting Dr. Eades article.
  My one question: do you know of any scientific studies involving krill oil and depression? Could you have one of your very talented minions check into this (ok, two questions)?? I’d greatly appreciate anything you’d come up with.
  Thanks so much!

• Steven Kiges
  February 21st, 2010
  10:25 pm
  

  I have been taking and recommending high quality, high dose Omega 3′s to my clients for several years. I find them to enormously helpful to concentrate and keep negative thinking at bay. When taken in high dosage and at a 3 to 1 EPA to DPA ratio it is excellent in curbing food cravings.

  The book that turned me on to Omega 3 is called The Omega 3 Connection by Dr. Andrew L. Stoll

  I take 9 grams of EPA daily which is 2 tablespoons of a very high quality Omega 3 oil. ascentahealth dot com It is not cheap but is excellent.

• Christina
  April 8th, 2010
  4:02 pm
  

  I was recently asked about the difference between the two. Mostly what struck me as the best fact in this well written article is that the Krill oil contains the Phosphatidylserine. I recently read in another article that with ample sleep, stress management, good diet, excercise, etc…, Phosphatidylserine with a few other suppliments could help with Cortisol management. I was looking to find some Phosphatidylserine that isn’t soy based, and if Krill has it, then I may be looking into that direction. The jury is still out:)

• wvk
  May 22nd, 2010
  7:10 am
  

  Krill oil post: Question: are large doses of quill oil dangerous?
  According to Dr. Barry Sears: “It is impossible to remove toxins such as PCBs or dioxins from krill oil. Furthermore, I have not seen any large-scale clinical studies with krill oil. ”

  What do you think?

• Oscar
  May 23rd, 2010
  7:50 pm
  

  Great article!

  Curious about your take on why Whole Foods Market banned krill oil supplements.

  Here is one opinion: http://www.omegavia.com/whole-foods-bans-krill-oil/

  Sounds like it’s a bit misguided.

• Andrew Huhn
  May 25th, 2010
  1:00 pm
  

  @Ingrid, @Gabby

  This is also for anyone else concerned with over-harvesting of krill for its oil.
  These numbers are just quick and basic, but:
  6 billion (estimated world pop.) x 1g (1000mg or Tim’s daily dosage) = roughly one metric tonne.

  This number represents 0.004% of the 500 million tons of krill available. We humans could consume 100x this amount before we even came within one half of one percent of the total krill population!

  But the numbers start to get even smaller when we look at:
  1. nowhere near all of the 6 billion are concerned with their health.
  2. an even smaller number yet are concerned enough to spend money regularly on a krill oil supplement (or any supplements).
  3. people like me are forgetful and will not take our supplements each of the 365 days used to calculate these numbers.
  4. if krill oil becomes a big enough industry, it will be respectively watched/governed as it grows. then, we would likely start farming our own krill for commercial use, leaving an even smaller impact on our cold-water oceans.

  This is all based on the underlying assumption that it’s inherently bad or wrong for some of us to want to eat krill.

  I think it’s important to remember that even though we can rationalize our impact on nature, we are still part of, and entitled to, what nature provides for us. As far as I am concerned, we are animals that want to eat krill, just like whales or other marine life…

• Cameron Benz
  July 25th, 2010
  9:37 am
  

  I may have to give the Krill oil a try. Maybe it’ll help with my alertness some.

• Cameron Benz
  July 25th, 2010
  9:37 am
  

  I may have to give the Krill oil a try. Maybe it’ll help with my alertness some.

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